Malic

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Malic \Ma"lic\, a. [L. malum an apple: cf. F. malique.] (Chem.)
     Pertaining to, or obtained from, apples; as, malic acid.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Malic acid}, (Chem.) a hydroxy acid
        ({HO.CO.CH2.CH(OH).CO.OH}) obtained from unripe fruit


        (such as green apples, currants, tomatoes or cherries) as
        a substance which is sirupy or crystallized with
        difficulty, and has a strong but pleasant sour taste. It
        is levorotatory or dextrorotatory according to the
        temperature and concentration; the natural form is of L-
        conformation. A synthetic variety is a derivative of
        succinic acid, but as with most simple synthetic
        compounds, is a racemic mixture of isomers and thus has no
        rotatory action on polarized light.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]